Guidance sheet 2:
Dangerous Goods
Classification
System
Dangerous Goods are substances that
are corrosive, flammable, explosive,
spontaneously combustible, toxic,
oxidising or water reactive.
Petrol, LPG, paints, pesticides and
acids are examples of commonly used
dangerous goods.
They are defined in the Dangerous
Goods Act 1985 and are classified in
the Australian Code for the Transport
of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail
(Dangerous Goods Code) according to
their common hazardous properties.
Classes of Dangerous
Goods
Each substance or article of Dangerous
Goods named in the Code is assigned to
a particular Class relating to its primary
hazardous property. The Classes are as
follows:
Class 1 Explosives
Class 3 Flammable Liquids
Class 7 Radioactive Materials
Liquids which can burn and have a Flash
Point (not boiling point) below 60.5°C
e.g. acetone and kerosene.
Substances and articles which
spontaneously emit radiation greater
than 70 kilobequerals per kilogram e.g.
uranium oxide.
Class 4 Flammable Solids etc.
Class 8 Corrosive Substances and
Articles
Class 4 is sub-divided into the following
three Divisions:
4.1 Flammable solids e.g. phosphorous
(red).
4.2 Substances liable to (white)
spontaneous combustion e.g. phosphorus.
4.3 Substances which, when they come
in contact, emit flammable gases e.g.
sodium with water.
This class is not further sub-divided but
it includes both acids and bases/alkalis
which can react dangerously.
e.g. hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide
and batteries containing acid.
Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods
Class 5 Oxidising Agents and Organic
Peroxides
Explosives range from those which
are extremely hazardous with a
mass explosion hazard such as TNT,
Gunpowder and Gelignite etc.
Class 2 Gases: Compressed, Liquefied or
Dissolved Under Pressure
Dangerous substances and articles that
do not fit into the above categories.
e.g. dry ice, asbestos and
environmentally hazardous substances.
Class 5 is sub-divided into the following
two Divisions:
5.1 Oxidizing agents e.g. ammonium
dichromate.
5.2 Organic peroxides e.g. ethyl methyl
ketone peroxide.
Class 2 is subdivided into the following
three Divisions:
Class 6 Toxic and Infectious Substances
2.1 Flammable gases e.g. acetylene and
most Aerosols.
2.2 Non-flammable, non-toxic gases e.g.
helium and oxygen.
2.3 Poisonous gases e.g. chlorine.
Class 6 is sub-divided into the following
two Divisions:
6.1 Toxic substances e.g. cyanides,
arsenic compounds and lead acetate.
6.2 Infectious substances e.g. vaccines
and pathology specimens.
Guidance sheet 2: Dangerous Goods Classification System
1
Subsidiary Risk
United Nations (UN) Number
Packing Group
Many Dangerous Goods present the
hazards of more than one Class or
Division. Such goods are assigned to a
Class according to their primary hazard.
The other hazard or hazards are referred
to as Subsidiary Risks.
Each Dangerous Goods item listed in
the Australian Dangerous Goods Code is
assigned a unique number, known as the
UN Number (United Nations Number or
UN No.).
Dangerous Goods of some Classes are
further divided into Packing Groups
according to the degree of danger they
present, as follows:
Examples:
Methanol is a highly flammable liquid that
is also toxic. It meets the classification
criteria for both Class 3 and Division 6.1.
As its flammability is its primary hazard,
Methanol is assigned to Class 3. It is also
shown in the Australian Dangerous Goods
Code as having a Subsidiary Risk of 6.1 to
cover its toxicity hazard.
Packing Group I Great Danger
e.g. UN No. 1090 Acetone
UN No. 1789 Hydrochloric Acid
Some UN numbers apply to groups of
substances having similar hazardous
properties that are not covered by
specific chemical entity entries.
e.g. UN No. 1263 Paint
UN No. 1993 Flammable Liquid
N.O.S. (Not Otherwise Specified)
Nitric Acid, Red, Fuming is corrosive, a
strong oxidising agent and toxic. It meets
the classification criteria for Classes
8, 5.1 and 6.1. As its corrosivity is its
primary hazard, Nitric Acid, Red, Fuming
is assigned to Class 8. However, it is also
allocated Subsidiary Risks of 5.1 and 6.1
to cover the other hazards.
Packing Group II Medium Danger
Packing Group III Minor Danger
‘Packing Group’ (referred to as
‘Packaging Group’ in earlier versions
of the Regulations and Code) does not
apply to those Classes/Divisions of
Dangerous Good against which ‘Not
applicable’ appears in the table below.
The following Class/Packing Groups may
be encountered:
Class/Division
Packing Group/s
1
Not applicable
2
Not applicable
3
I, II or III
4
I, II or III
5.1
I, II or III
5.2
II only
6.1
I, II or III
6.2
Not applicable
7
Not applicable
8
I, II or III
9
II or III
Further information and advice can be
obtained by contacting DEECD’s OHS
Advisory Service on 1300 074 715 or
your Regional OHS/WorkSafe Advisor.
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Guidance sheet 2: Dangerous Goods Classification System